Montana city lowers minimum age to own or work for a marijuana company

Did you miss the webinar “Women Leaders in Cannabis: Shattering the Grass Ceiling?” Head to MJBiz YouTube to watch it now!


Billings, Montana, lowered the age limit from 21 to 18 for people to own or work for a marijuana business in the state’s largest city.

The move was in response to a lawsuit that medical marijuana dispensary Montana Advanced Caregivers filed against the city earlier this month, according to Billings TV station KTVQ.

The dispensary was prompted to file the suit because it has three employees who are older than 18 but not yet 21.

The Billings City Council changed the age requirement after discussing Montana’s marijuana laws, which:

  • Do not allow anyone younger than 21 to enter a cannabis store.
  • Allow people 18 or older to work for a marijuana business.

Stay informed with MJBiz Newsletters

MJBiz’s family of newsletters gives cannabis professionals an edge in this rapidly changing industry.

Featured newsletters:
  • MJBizDaily: Business news for cannabis leaders in your inbox each morning
  • MJBiz Cultivator: Insights for wholesale cannabis growers & vertically integrated businesses
  • MJBizCon Buzz: Behind-the-scenes buzz on everything MJBizCon
  • MJBiz Retail + Brand: New products, trends and news for cannabis retailers, distributors and marketers
  • Hemp Industry Week: Roundup of news from hemp farming to CBD product manufacturing
  • And more!

 

Meanwhile, MJBizDaily recently reported that local-level political battles could upend the state’s newly launched recreational cannabis market, which is on track to generate $215 million or more in sales in 2022 during its first year of operation.

Montana voters legalized adult-use marijuana in November 2020, but state lawmakers left it to county and municipal governments to approve recreational sales.

Voters in Yellowstone County, which is home to Billings, will decide June 7 whether to allow or ban adult-use sales.